Oar unloadee



eases.

(No Model.)

GAR UNLOADER.

Patented July 4, 1893.

Fig. 3.

I 472m?- 4 d? XwfA/M 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. DAHL;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED DAHL, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO E. J. TERWILLIGER AND JAMES JOHNS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-U NLOADER.

gBEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,997, dated July 4,- 1893.

Applicationfiled August 22, 1892. Serial No. 443.811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED DAHL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Unloaders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to unloading mechanism; and has for its object, to provide acar unloader, which shall be efficient and reliable and quick in its action.

To this end,'my invention consists of the novel features of construction hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the preferred form of my construction, wherein, like letters referring to like parts throughout,Figure 1 is a right side elevation of the unloading mechanism with a carin position thereon, positions being taken with reference to an observer facing Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, some parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a left hand elevation of the mechanism and car, shown in Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a perspective, showing the car and platform from the left end, as it would appear after the platform had been tilted sidewise; and also given an endwise tilt toward the observer. Fig. 5 is a diagramview in perspective, looking toward the side of the car from which the grain is being emptied, when 1n tl 1e position shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail 1n section, illustrating the means for drivingthe cable drum.

arepresents apillow block in the basement of the elevator, or other building, where the car unloader is to be employed. The said pillow block, as shown, is formed with two upright portions rising from a common base and spaced apart from each other.

I) is a triangular truss, the end and central armsof which are of yoke-like form, formed integralwith each other, at the apex of the triangle, and embracing. the two standards of the pillow block a, and pivotally connected thereto, by a king-bolt b. The said truss 1s provided on the tops of its yoke-like arms, with bearing lugs 12?, to which by the horizontal pivot rod 0, is connected the car platform or section of track 0. The horizontal pivot rod 0 works through the bearing lugs 12 and corresponding bearing lugs 0 depending from the car platform 0', at points slightly to one side of the horizontal line through the center of gravity of the said platform. It is evident that in virtue of the pivotal connection of the truss b with the pillow-blocks a, that the platform may be given an endwise tilting motion; and that in virtue of the pivotal connection between the truss and the platform, that the platform may be given a sidewise tilting motion.

The platform 0' is constructed as a section of the track, being provided with rails 0 for the reception of the car d. The platform is normally held in a horizontal posit-ion,in line with the main sections of the railway track by cables e and f passing over drums e and f respectively, on a common shaft g, journaled in bearings g, below the platform. Of the said drums, the drum f is rigidly secured to the shaft 9 and receives its motion from a worm gear f keyed to the said shaft, and a worm shaft f which is driven in either direction desired, by the belts f and f and the fast and loose pulleys f f f and f Of the said belts, one is straight and the othera cross belt; and of the said pulleys, the central members are loose and the outside members fast on the shaft. Normally, of course, the belts are on the loose pulleys, and either belt may be shifted, at will, onto the adjacent fixed pulley, for turning the worm f shaft g and the drum f, thus operating the cable f. The cablefis given a turn about the drumf, and has its opposite ends connected to the opposite ends of the triangular truss 1). Hence, by the movement of the drum f, the platform and the car contained thereon may be given an endwise tiltin either direction. The drum 6' is loose on the shaft 9,- and as shown, is formed integral with a worm-gear 6 The worm-gear e engages a worm a which is driven in either direction, at will, by a corresponding pair of bolts 6 and 6 and a corresponding set of fast and loose pulleys e 6 e and a", one of the belts being straight and the other crossed, as was the case on the other worm-shaft. The drum 6' may therefore be turned in either direction, at will, independently of the shaftgand the drum f and will wind up or release the cable, e. The cable 6 is fast at its center to the drum e, and has its ends attached to projecting parts of the platform a, as shown at e. Itis evident, that as the cable e is unwound from the drum 6', the platform will tilt by gravity sidewise as far as permitted by the cable; and may be returned to its normal or horizontal position, by winding up the cable. The belts f and f and the belts e and a pass over pulleys on a line shaft and are controlledby beltshifters,

not shown.

It is necessary to hold the car during the tilting movement of the platform, so as to preventany movement of the car in respect to orindependent of the platform. For this purpose, I provide laterally adjustable end and portions of a right and left screw-shaft h,

having a hand-wheel h by means of which the sliding heads are adjusted toward or from each other, at will. The clamping arms h are pivotally secured between ear-lugs of the sliding heads h and are of a length to reach over into the path of the car and engage with the ends of the same, when the car is in position on the platform. The side clamps h are in the form of screws, working through lateral screw-threaded seats in the said sliding heads 7L2, and are provided with hand'wheels h", for operating the same. When the car is in position, these end and side clamps h and it will be in the positions, shown in full lines, in Figs. 2 and 3; and will secure the car to the platform, so that it can neither tilt sidewise nor move endwise, with respect to the platform. When it is desired to move the car from the platform, the clamping arms h are turned on their pivots back out ofthe way, and the side clamps h, are given a few turns backwardby the hand wheels If, so that both sets of clamps will stand clear of the car, permitting the same to be moved; and another car to be received onto the platform.

The different adjustments of the side and end clamps or holding devices, adapt the same for application to any car, regardless of its size. The worm shafts e and f are supported in suitable bearingsof any kind, such for example, as pillow blocks 7c, and the yokelike bracket overarching the worm-gears provided with thebearings k The different parts of the mechanism have now been specified. The operation and use of the same is also obvious from the description. already given. When the car has been secured on the platform, it will of course be carried with the platform; and may thereby one side of the track. old way, is comparatively expensive in point be given a sidewise tilt, an endwise tilt, or both a sidewise and an endwise tilting movement, as may be required, for emptying the car of its contents.

The invention was especially designed for use in unloading grain. Asis well-known, grain is for the most part carried in a loose conditionin ordinary box cars; and in unloading the same, the grain has hitherto, so far as I am aware, been shoveled out, by hand or steam power, through the door of the car into the receiving hopper or pit, which, in elevators, is ordinarily located below and to To unload a car in this of time and labor. By my invention, as herein described, the car may be emptied by an almost instantaneousaction. The sidewise dump of the platform and-carwill empty out the great body of the grain; but-.will I leave more or less lodged in the angles between the tion into which the car may thus be thrown,

the grain must travel across the opening in the side of the car.

The operative mechanism for giving to the platform the tilting motions, may be of any suitable kind. Themechanism that Ihave shown, however, has the merit ofsimplicity, may be cheaply built, and is quick in its action.

It will of course be understood, that this car unloader is equally applicable to unloading cars, containing any other kind of material, which will run, under the action of gravity. It will also be understood, that any other suitable form of holding devices might be applied, to secure thecar fromunovement independent of the platform.

What I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A car-unloader, comprising a receiving platform or section of track mounted on a pair of pivots, one of said pivots extending longitudinally, and the other laterally of the car, whereby the contents of the car may be thrown to one side of thesame under one pivotal movement of the said. platform and frolnend to end of the car under. the other pivotal movement of the said platform,substantially as described.

2. In a car unloader, the combination with IIO wise and an endwise tiltingmotion, of sliding.

heads mounted in longitudinal guideways, fixed to the said platform beyond the dumpingv side of the track, laterally adjustable end and side clamps carried by said slidingheads, and:

a right and left screw threaded shaft working through corresponding seats in said heads, for adjusting the same toward and from each other,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination with the sidewise and endwise tilting platform, of the sliding heads.

mounted in longitudinal guideways, fixed to the said platform beyond the dumping side of the track, the pivoted end clamps or arms carried by said heads, the handscrew side clamps working through lateral screw threaded seats, in the said heads, andthe right and left screw threadedshaft with hand wheel connecting said sliding heads, substantially as and" for the purposes set forth.

5. In a carunloader, the combination with a sidewise and endwise tiltingv platform, .for

presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED DAHL.

-Witnesses: I

JAs. F. WILLIAMSON, E. FELICE ELMORE. 

